A mail from my mom which I think is quite true
REAP THE WHIRLWIND
I once read a story about a young boy who had heard some juicy gossip about one of the leaders in his small town. And it was just that. “Juicy Gossip!” And, of course, he told a few people, who told a few people, and so on and so on. The object of the gossip had his reputation ruined.
The young boy’s father confronted him. He told him to go to everybody that he had spoken to and recant the story. And, he had to go to everybody they spoke to, etc. etc. The young boy told his father that there was no way that he could get to everybody. The father was emphatic. You can’t miss a one. The young boy could not grasp the enormity of the situation. He told people, who told people, who told people, and there were probably hundreds of people involved now. Surely, he would miss some of them. The father took his son along with an old feather pillow to the top of a local mountain. He had the boy split the pillow with his knife and throw the feathers into the wind. They blew every which way. Some of them caught breezes and blew for miles and miles. The father then told his son to go pick up all the feathers. Finally, the lad understood. It was impossible! He understood that no matter how many people he recanted his story to, there would be those he would miss ... And they would tell people... who would tell people ... who would tell people!
You see. I believe that sometimes our “little white lies” turn out to be “double feature Technicolor! We live in a day when lives, families and businesses are destroyed by gossip, innuendo and partial truths. These tales seem to take on a life of their own and grow in their destructive ways. To participate in tale bearing is a dangerous lifestyle, because the damage done cannot be undone. Here’s another example.
A father took his son who had spread a lie and made him drive a nail in the fence post. Then he made the lad remove the nail and said, “Look Son, there was never a nail there!” The son said, “Of course there was. Can’t you see the scar?” And the father said, “That’s exactly my point. Even if you right the wrong the scar will remain long after.”
Life will give us plenty of opportunities to tell “our story” of how we were done wrong. Even if we only perceive we were done wrong, the emotions are all still there. And if we are not careful, we take on a “victim” mentality ... or, we could choose to take on a “victor” mentality and learn from, and grow from our disappointment. In so many cases, after we tell our story, it gets passed on in a “modified” format. People get accused, tried in the court of public opinion and sentence to a lifetime of a soiled reputation. And all of this was based on partial facts and over active emotions.
A while back I spoke at a Christmas banquet. It was a great night. And yet, when one of the men who was there, when he heard that I was speaking, immediately left for the evening. Over 20 years before, he had heard some “stories” about me. He never spoke to me about them, but he embraced this gossip as truth. He decided to set in judgment on me. Now, 20 years later, he is still carrying hurts, disappointments and bitter feelings toward me over things that never happened. I wonder how many people he had told this story to... and how many they had told.
There is a law that is immutable. I’ve written about it before. It is called the law of the harvest. Simply stated, you reap what you sow. If you sow gossip about others, gossip will be sown about you. If you prejudge others, you will be prejudged. If you become a tale bearer then tales will be told of you. Conversely, if you are quick to forgive, you will be forgiven. If you show mercy, you will receive mercy. Choose to grow better, not bitter. Do not assume that everything you hear is the truth. For like the feathers blowing in the wind, you can never fully call back what you have sown. If you sow to the wind you will reap the whirlwind.
I once read a story about a young boy who had heard some juicy gossip about one of the leaders in his small town. And it was just that. “Juicy Gossip!” And, of course, he told a few people, who told a few people, and so on and so on. The object of the gossip had his reputation ruined.
The young boy’s father confronted him. He told him to go to everybody that he had spoken to and recant the story. And, he had to go to everybody they spoke to, etc. etc. The young boy told his father that there was no way that he could get to everybody. The father was emphatic. You can’t miss a one. The young boy could not grasp the enormity of the situation. He told people, who told people, who told people, and there were probably hundreds of people involved now. Surely, he would miss some of them. The father took his son along with an old feather pillow to the top of a local mountain. He had the boy split the pillow with his knife and throw the feathers into the wind. They blew every which way. Some of them caught breezes and blew for miles and miles. The father then told his son to go pick up all the feathers. Finally, the lad understood. It was impossible! He understood that no matter how many people he recanted his story to, there would be those he would miss ... And they would tell people... who would tell people ... who would tell people!
You see. I believe that sometimes our “little white lies” turn out to be “double feature Technicolor! We live in a day when lives, families and businesses are destroyed by gossip, innuendo and partial truths. These tales seem to take on a life of their own and grow in their destructive ways. To participate in tale bearing is a dangerous lifestyle, because the damage done cannot be undone. Here’s another example.
A father took his son who had spread a lie and made him drive a nail in the fence post. Then he made the lad remove the nail and said, “Look Son, there was never a nail there!” The son said, “Of course there was. Can’t you see the scar?” And the father said, “That’s exactly my point. Even if you right the wrong the scar will remain long after.”
Life will give us plenty of opportunities to tell “our story” of how we were done wrong. Even if we only perceive we were done wrong, the emotions are all still there. And if we are not careful, we take on a “victim” mentality ... or, we could choose to take on a “victor” mentality and learn from, and grow from our disappointment. In so many cases, after we tell our story, it gets passed on in a “modified” format. People get accused, tried in the court of public opinion and sentence to a lifetime of a soiled reputation. And all of this was based on partial facts and over active emotions.
A while back I spoke at a Christmas banquet. It was a great night. And yet, when one of the men who was there, when he heard that I was speaking, immediately left for the evening. Over 20 years before, he had heard some “stories” about me. He never spoke to me about them, but he embraced this gossip as truth. He decided to set in judgment on me. Now, 20 years later, he is still carrying hurts, disappointments and bitter feelings toward me over things that never happened. I wonder how many people he had told this story to... and how many they had told.
There is a law that is immutable. I’ve written about it before. It is called the law of the harvest. Simply stated, you reap what you sow. If you sow gossip about others, gossip will be sown about you. If you prejudge others, you will be prejudged. If you become a tale bearer then tales will be told of you. Conversely, if you are quick to forgive, you will be forgiven. If you show mercy, you will receive mercy. Choose to grow better, not bitter. Do not assume that everything you hear is the truth. For like the feathers blowing in the wind, you can never fully call back what you have sown. If you sow to the wind you will reap the whirlwind.